All About Maypole Dancing

Music

The album, Maypole Dance Music by Stradivarious is available on iTunes or click here to buy a CD. Click on the button (right) to be transferred to the iTunes Store.

The following tracks are available;

* Maypole Dance Reels; These are suitable for every type of maypole dancing. The music is based on traditional music of the Cotswolds and Lichfield, Staffordshire. You may recognise some of the tunes.
* Maypole Dance Hornpipes; These tunes suit a step-hop-step-hop rhythm. This rhythm takes a bit of practice but gives a very different feel to the dance.
* Maypole Dance Jigs; These jigs help you skip around the maypole. They are suitable for every type of maypole dancing.
* Maypole Dance Waltzes; If you like slow and stately movements then this is the type of music you should be using.

Maypole Dance Hornpipes (track length; 10 min 51 s)
These slower and more rhythmical tunes are all traditional. Included are; The Keel Row, Kafoozalum, Navvie on the Line, Harvest Home and the Trumpet Hornpipe.

Maypole Dance Jigs (track length; 8 min 31 s)
These are all traditional tunes, including; Blackberry Quadrille, Oyster Girl, Moon and Seven Stars, Old Rosin the Beau and Kemp's Jig. The last tune was originally published by Playford in 1650.

Maypole Dance Waltzes (track length; 9 min 49 s)
These tunes were all written by the Irish harpist, Turlough O'Carolan (1670 - 1738) who became blind in 1688 due to smallpox. Included are; Planxty Irwin, Si Bheag Si Mhor (referring to fairy mounds), Planxty F. Poer and Planxty Hewlett. Planxty is usually considered to mean "In praise of..".